


Tactical Exit

by sunaddicted



Series: Tumblr Prompts 2019 [22]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Drabble, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Slice of Life, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-12-24 15:56:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21102089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunaddicted/pseuds/sunaddicted
Summary: "How are you?""I have missed you""That's a given"





	Tactical Exit

**Author's Note:**

> @christinefromsherwood asked for whatever pairing I was feeling the most + "take my jacket. It's cold outside"

_Tactical Exit _

Q was fuming.

Even if it hadn't been obvious - which it was, what with the way Q's cheeks immediately turned red and his eyebrows seemed to get stuck in a hard frown - James would have immediately known it.

He discarded his glass as inconspicuously as possible, so that he could reach the younger man on the other side of the room without people actually realizing which was his purpose; it was a familiar game: James had almost invisibly crossed more ballrooms than he could remember - not that he had ever kept count, really.

He sidestepped a cluster of members of MI5 upper echelon - he wasn't in a mood for schmoozing up to them, no matter that it was exactly what M had dragged him there for - and made sure to keep his position always at Moneypenny's back: if there was someone who would manage to force him into socializing with a gaggle of politicians and high functionaries, it was her.

Nobody ever took Moneypenny's threats lightly.

_Nobody_.

Least of all James Bond, especially not when she had the power of shackling him to a desk - he didn't have one of his own, none of the Double-Ohs did: it would only have been a waste - with weeks' worth of paperwork. Just the thought was enough to make James' shudder with disgust as he perused once again the room, ensuring that Q was still locked in whatever unpleasant conversation he has stumbled upon - or actually pursued; James wouldn't have been surprised to discover that the Quartermaster had purposefully sought out some powerful bastard out there to try and discuss Q-Branch finances.

As his mind lazily thought up an excuse to drag Q away, James picked up an hors d'oeuvre - he didn't like it: who the hell put cheddar cheese sauce and smoked tuna together? - and made sure anybody who looked at him knew that he was just circling the room, no purpose at all behind his casual stroll throughout the crowd.

The trick was _not_ to sneak around.

The trick was to seem aimless to the point that everybody's gaze would just slide off of you like droplets of rain on an umbrella.

It was the first lesson that green agents learnt when they were finally put in the field and realised that in the world of espionage, being sneaky meant painting a nice, glowing target on their backs.

Sneakiness was suspicious.

Sneakiness could kill.

When Q abruptly put an early end to the conversation to probably avoid telling someone important to fuck off, James neatly adjusted his course and slid out into the hall "Take my jacket" he said in lieu of a greeting as he discarded what was left of the horrid hors d'oeuvre, grinning a little when Q's shoulders tensed with surprise "It's cold outside"

"How do you know I don't have one?"

James handed Q the little slip of paper, his hovering at his back more than enough to steer him towards the cloakroom "I saw you arrive"

Q sighed, smiling politely at the attendant "I didn't know you were back"

"M got a hold of me before I could get out of work" James' words were imbued with annoyance "My bag is still in the car" he didn't want to think about how badly his suits were creasing so, he took the coat before Q could reach over and helped the other man into it, adjusting the oversized garment as best as he could on Q's leaner frame.

"I'll help you unpack it when we get home" Q reassured, fingers brushing against the back of James' hand while the other man did up the buttons "Did you park nearby?"

So, they weren't stepping out just for a smoke - _good_: James had been done with the party before it had even started "Reasonably so. I can go and get the car if you're not in the mood to walk"

"No" he shook his head and reached down to entwine his fingers with James' and tugging lightly on his hand, a frisson of satisfaction lightining up at the back of his mind when the agent followed the silent request without a fuss.

"How are you?"

"I have missed you"

"That's a given"

Q rolled his eyes even as he sidled closer to the other man, wondering about how it was possible that James felt so warm even when he was considerably underdressed for the weather "I'm fine. You?"

"I'm better now"

"Did something happen when I handed you over to R?" Up until Q had been forced to a meeting, the mission had been going quite well - a knot of worry immediately formed in his stomach and his fingers curled tighter around the other's.

"No, I had just started contemplating whether to kill everyone in the room to escape the boredom"

"James"

"Q" he answered with a grin to the other's chiding tone.

"Just take me home"

"Yes sir"


End file.
